Another way to make money on tourists under the guise of fighting bad habits was launched on the beaches of the popular Thai resort of Hua Hin. The “Smoke-Free Beach” campaign, initiated by the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources Region 3 (DMCR3), is to “draw attention to the dangers of smoking on the beach both in terms of public health and environmental impact” according to a Thai press statement. Attracting the attention of tourists will be noticeable – they face a huge fine or even prison … However, it seems that tourists have loopholes.
The official warning states that anyone caught smoking on the beach could be fined up to 100,000 baht or go to jail for up to one year. Reportedly, “officials” have already walked the beaches with warning signs in Thai and English. So far, there has been a warning – tourists have only been pointed to the smoking areas that are specially created on the beach, as well as reminded of the ban on smoking and informed about the rules for smoking on the beach.
The Thai authorities are counting on educational measures to have an effect. Foreign sources, commenting on this decision, added that most likely it will be a feeder for scammers, including those in uniform. But the most interesting thing is that such a requirement and the punishment for ignoring it … are illegal. The tourist must remember that only the police can issue him a fine based on existing laws; moreover, put him in jail. They recall that the smoking ban in Bangkok 20 years ago first of all led to the fact that scammers proliferated in abundance, offering smoking tourists to “go to the office or resolve the issue on the spot.” As a result, annoying “agents” were frankly “sent”, and the number of fraud complaints increased many times over.
Thus, tourists are warned to be vigilant – “business people” who decide to cash in on tourists will undoubtedly be. However, it must be kept in mind that only the police have the right to collect fines. In addition, it is very difficult to prove the fact of smoking on the beach.